Somewhere Between Two Worlds
by Emily Belle
Summary: While visiting her parents back home for Christmas, Ellie finds herself face to face with a stranger who claims to be a King back in his country, Narnia. AU
1. Chapter 1

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I am not a native English speaker, so forgive me for any mistake you may come across. Thank you.

**Chapter One**

Ellie sighed as she threw her heavy suitcase on her bed. She looked around her – nothing had changed. Her childhood's bedroom was exactly as she had left it five years ago when she applied to Kingston University in London and got accepted. She smiled weakly as she remembered the times when her friends and she would lock themselves in with biscuits and juices to discuss the latest gossips, or later on when they were supposed to study for their A-Levels but would instead smoke cigarettes and drink cheap wine from Tesco. She was not in a good place then – her relationship with her father had been going downhill for some time. She knew he was always disappointed in her – whether it was legitimate or not was another story. But for some reason, all she could do was make things worse by misbehaving. When she packed her things for London, they would hardly talk to each other. As for her mother, it had never really worked. Ellie had tried for years to be the perfect daughter she thought her mother dreamt of, but it never worked out. Whenever she did something wrong, her mother would point it out. But she would never point out the good. They never chatted or went shopping together – they were like two strangers living under the same roof. So when she turned fifteen, Ellie simply gave up. She was too tired to try, and she promised herself to not waste any more energy on her mother. Her brother James, of three years her junior, was the centre of their mother's world anyway, so it was not like her mother would notice.

Her English degree had lasted four years. Four years during which she grew up, and became a woman. Her first year in London had been mad, with too much partying and drinking and one-night stands. She still had no idea how she had even passed her end-of-term exams! But she had. She also realized that this was not the kind of life she wanted, so she gave up on the partying and focused on her studies. Little by little, the late teen anger vanished and she became responsible. She became her true self. She had now been working in a bookshop for a little under a year, and she loved it to pieces. Sure, it was not the highly paid job her father had expected her to get one day, but she didn't care. It was a small, independent bookshop with a faithful clientele with whom she would drink a cup of hot coffee in the winter while discussing the last thing they had read.

She was never in touch with her parents, except for the odd birthday cards. But every December, her mother would ring her asking her to take a train up to Coventry – her hometown – and spend Christmas with them. She had always declined, not sure she wanted to face her father or be told how much of a disappointment she was. A BA in English would not lead to a great career as a lawyer or a doctor, after all. When December came this time around, she began to feel tense at the thought of the much-dreaded phone call. But it never came. Not until the 22nd. As her mother asked her if she'd come to spend Christmas with her family, she realized that she was hurt she had been not called earlier, as if her mother knew she would say no anyway and only did it out of politeness. So the words escaped her mouth, _'Yes, I think I'd like to join you this year'_. And now she was in her bedroom, in Coventry, far from vibrant and exciting London.

Her father had come to pick her up at the train station. She had insisted she would take a bus but her mother would have it no other way – _'Your father _will_ come pick you up'_. He had kissed her cheek lightly and insisted on carrying her suitcase. The drive home was short and he hadn't really said a word. She shivered as she walked in her 'home'. Her brother was there already and he hugged her, telling her how much he'd missed her. He was at the University of Warwick now, and even though they spoke on the phone they had not seen each other physically during these five long years. She answered she had missed him too. Her mother had grown older. It felt as if they had said goodbye ages ago. She hugged her daughter too and whispered she was happy she'd come over for Christmas. Ellie refused to get all emotional, but she was grateful for the warm welcome.

Her mother had led her to her old bedroom and told her that they were off to the supermarket for last-minute purchases. Ellie nodded and watched her mother as she left the room.

When silence filled in the house again, Ellie decided to venture around. Everything was different yet the same. The photos of her and her brother when they were babies still hung on corridor's walls. She pushed the door to her brother's bedroom and walked in. Posters of undressed women had replaced the Action Man figures. She laughed a little at the thought of her brother being a man now. She probably couldn't push him out of her room like she used to when he tried to listen to the conversations she had with her friends.

As she walked out and closed the door, she heard a massive "bang!" coming from outside. She froze, her slightly paranoid self fearing that someone was trying to break in. After all, it was winter and it was night by five o'clock now. She quietly made her way to the kitchen, careful not to turn on the light instinctively, and fumbled about to find a knife or anything that she could use to defend herself. She slowly opened the door that led to the back garden, and after taking a deep breath she turned on the light that lit the garden and shouted _'What do you want?!'_, ready to stab the intruder if needed.

But instead, what she saw was a young man standing by her father's beloved pond, looking around and apparently frightened. When he saw Ellie holding up a knife, he grabbed a large sword out in defense. Ellie stood there with her jaw dropped, unsure whether she should laugh or be scared by the situation.

"Who are you?" she asked quietly, trying not to anger the young man.

"Who _are_ you?" he repeated in a thick Spanish accent.

"I am Ellie, and I live here. Do you?"

The young man lowered his sword and answered, "No."

"Alright…" said Ellie, trying to think of something coherent to say. "I'm going to put down that knife on the windowsill. Swear you're not going to use that… sword?!"

The young man nodded and so Ellie did as she'd said.

"Now, tell me. What the hell are you doing in my back garden, dressed like… this…" she paused as she looked up and down the man's apparel for the first time. Middle Ages is the first thing that came to her mind. "with... a sword… It's not Hallowe'en… as far as I know"

"Hallo-what?!" he repeated with a strange look on his face.

"Hallowe'en! Don't you know Hallowe'en? Anyway, that's not the point. What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"I have got no idea, miss. I was happily fishing with my friend Reepicheep when I bent down to catch my fish and was sucked up by the lake. Next thing I know I was standing here in your garden."

Ellie frowned. "Reepicheep? What kind of name is that? And sucked up by a lake?! Are you sure you didn't escape from Cov's hospital?!"

The young man stared at her with his dark, piercing eyes and shook his head. "I am sorry, but I do not understand one thing of what you are saying."

"Nevermind," answered Ellie. "Alright… It's freezing here," she said as she felt herself shiver. She only had a pullover on after all. "If I let you in, do you swear you're not going to hurt me? Because if you do, trust me I'll hurt you back and then call the cops."

"The cops?"

"Yes, the cops."

Her interlocutor looked like he had no idea what she was talking about, but he replied solemnly, "In the name of Aslan, I swear I will not hurt you."

"Aaaalriiight…"

Ellie opened the door and stepped aside to let the stranger pass. As he didn't move, she gestured for him to come in. He bowed, and walked humbly in the warm house.

"By the way, what's your name?" Ellie asked as she picked up the knife and closed the door behind her.

"Caspian, madam. Caspian X."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Caspian?" she repeated as she turned around to face him. He was looking around with his eyes wide open.

"Yes, I am Caspian X, King of Narnia."

"_King_ of what?!" Ellie exclaimed.

"King of Narnia, madam. Don't you know Narnia?"

"I'm afraid not…" she answered slowly, surprised by the question.

"May I ask you your name?" Caspian asked politely.

"Sure! I'm Ellie. Eleanor, actually. But everybody calls me Ellie."

"Eleanor…" Caspian whispered. "What a lovely name…"

"Well, it's pretty old-fashioned really. I'm not too keen on it."

"Well, you should love it. I find it very soft and sweet. It is very nice to meet you, Eleanor."

He bowed just like he had before coming in. Ellie wanted to laugh – this man was so… weird. But then she thought, if he really is mad, laughing may upset him and god knows what he might do.

"So, Caspian… Or shall I call you Your Majesty?" She went on as he shook his head no. "Alright, Caspian. Did you _really_ get sucked up by a lake and ended up in my garden? Please, I do apologize if I offend you, but it all sounds a little unbelievable, to say the least."

"I promise you I did, madam. I never knew it could work the other way round!"

"The other way round?"

"Yes. Years ago, my dear friends, High King Peter and his siblings entered Narnia through the back of the wardrobe. They saved Narnia from the White Witch, but that I was only told because it was over 1800 years ago and I was not born yet. Then, when my uncle Miraz tried to kill me, I called them back and they helped me defeat Miraz. But then High King Peter and… and… Queen Susan the Gentle…" Caspian chocked back. "Aslan told them they could never return to Narnia. Fortunately, King Edmund and Queen Lucy stayed around longer. The third time they even came back to Narnia through a painting! It felt normal for the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve to travel to Narnia, but I never thought Narnians could travel to your world."

"Wow!" was all Ellie could say.

If he was insane, his story was certainly clever. He seemed to believe every word of it, and at the mention of Queen Susan – or whatever her name was – he honestly sounded affected. Ellie eyed him suspiciously as he stood there in her kitchen, a complete stranger. She was suspicious, but deep down she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She was too old to believe in parallel worlds and old myths now, wasn't she? It was no longer a Literature course when you studied and dissected some fantastic story pretending to believe all of it was true. Yet, his clothes, his accent, his sword… Did they let their patients leave their fantasy lives in mental hospitals?!

"But why did you end up in Coventry, then? I don't get it. Out of every place in the world, you had to be sent here. It's really odd. It's not as if Coventry was anything exciting."

"What is Coventry?"

"Well, here. We _are_ in Coventry."

"No, this is a kitchen. It is very different from my own back in Narnia, but I can recognize some utensils…"

"Oh! No! I mean, yes, this is a kitchen. Coventry is the city we are in. Aren't there any towns or cities in Narnia?"

"No."

"Okay… That still doesn't explain why you would end up here. Perhaps you're meant to see Queen Susan?"

"Do you think so?" Caspian seemed very hopeful all of a sudden. "Susan once told me it was war in her country, which is why she had to flee… L… Lo… London?"

"London? Yes! London is England's capital city. So Susan lives in London? I live in London too! But… England is not at war anymore."

"Ooh…"

"Do you know Susan's birthdate maybe?"

"No, I am afraid not. I do have this, though."

He searched one of his pockets and handed a piece of paper to Ellie. A small photograph.

"Queen Lucy brought it back for me when she came back to Narnia without Queen Susan and High King Peter. She said it was a souvenir. I always keep it with me."

Ellie had a look at the black and white photograph. According to Susan's hairdo and clothes, the photo must have been taken in the forties. Which would make sense if she had told Caspian England was at war.

"She was beautiful." Ellie said softly.

"She was…" Caspian whispered, putting the photo back in his pocket. "Do you think she's… she's…"

"Not necessarily." Ellie cut in, understanding what Caspian meant. "But we are in 2008 now, so she's probably very old. Compared to you, that is."

"I am 27 years old." Caspian said matter-of-factly. "How old are you?"

"You don't ask a lady her age!" Ellie laughed, pretending to be offended.

"Oh, I am very sorry for offending you, Eleanor."

Ellied stopped laughing. "I was joking, Caspian. And thank you for not calling me madam, it makes me feel a lot younger."

Just as she was about to ask him if he wanted to drink or eat, she heard her parents' car park. She started panicking – what was she going to tell them about Caspian? She couldn't let them see him dressed in his old-fashioned King clothes. The first thing that came to her head was to grab his hand and run to her bedroom upstairs. Caspian didn't even have the time to ask her what was going on. Just as she closed the door behind them, her mother pushed the front door open. Ellie leant against the door and let out a long sigh. Caspian was looking at her, flabbergasted.

"Sorry about that," she whispered. "But my family is back and they can't… Caspian, if what you're saying is true… You do understand that people will have a hard time believing you, right?"

Caspian nodded. He remembered how he found it hard to believe in the inhabitants of Narnia before he saw them. And now the mouse Reepicheep was his best friend. He also remembered Queen Lucy mentioning how the Pevensie children could not talk about Narnia back home, because no one would believe them.

"I'm going to sneak in my brother's bedroom while they're still downstairs. He's younger than you but I think you're about the same size. Please, stay here, will you?"

She didn't wait for his answer and tiptoed to James's room. She opened his wardrobe as quietly as she could and picked up a pair of jeans, a sweat shirt and a couple of boxers and socks. Surely that would be enough for now.

"There you go!" She said as she handed Caspian his new clothes.

He looked at them strangely, the boxers in particular. "What are these?"

"Boxers." Ellie answered matter-of-factly as she emptied her suitcase. She looked up and noticed Caspian didn't seem satisfied with the answer. "Underwear."

"Underwear? So… Men in your country wear these?"

"Yes, and girls find them very sexy." She replied, giving him a wink.

"So, shall I change now, then?"

"Yes, please. I still need to make up some story about you, but in the meantime, it'd be better if you looked 'normal'. To my parents' eyes, that is."

She gave him a weak smile. He smiled back, before blushing.

"Oh, um… You may want some intimacy. I'll just… turn around. Is that okay with you?"

He nodded and she turned around to look through the window. She could hear him stripping down to the last piece of clothing, and it's only innocently that she noticed his reflection in her window. Since it was dark already, the light was on. She couldn't help but have a look at the stranger, King Caspian. He had now put on her brother's boxers, and she almost gasped at the sight of his body. He had strong thighs and muscular shoulders. His skin was tanned, and his chest was slightly hairy. His longish black hair fell on his face as he pulled up the jeans.

"I am done now." He told her.

She turned around and hoped he didn't notice her flushed cheeks. Just then, she heard her mother call her downstairs.

"Alright, Caspian… Let me do the speaking, will you? And just nod. Now, follow me."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ellie," Her mother spoke up. "We thought that maybe we could order pizza to-…" She paused as she saw Caspian walking behind her daughter. "Um… Who is this?"

"Mum, dad, this is a friend of mine, Caspian."

"Caspian?" James chocked, trying not laugh.

"Yes, Caspian." She repeated seriously, shooting her brother a dirty look. "Caspian comes from, um… Spain, hence his name. We met while I was at university. His family was supposed to come over to London to celebrate Christmas but they had to cancel last minute and he felt lonely. He knew I was in Cov and, well, here he is."

She was impressed with her own ability to lie so quickly. She wanted to believe Caspian's story, and she would feel terribly guilty if he ended up on the street because of her.

"Please, mum, dad, let him stay over. I'll just drag the mattress from the box room up to my bedroom so he can sleep comfortably. I promise you won't even notice his presence."

Ellie watched her parents as they looked at each other, making up their minds. James was in the back of the kitchen, with a stupid smile on his face. Ellie eyed him suspiciously – what the heck was he thinking?

"Well, I guess since our daughter's finally back with us for Christmas, we could accept her special guest." Her mother finally spoke up. Ellie smiled at her mother gratefully. "Now, Caspian, what about pizza?"

Caspian looked at Ellie and she encouraged him to answer. "I do not eat pizza very much, but I would love to share my meal with you, madam."

"What a delicious accent!" Ellie's mother exclaimed. "Well, here's the flyer," she said as she handed Ellie the Domino's Pizza advertisement. "When you and Ellie are done let us know and I'll ring them."

"Follow me, Caspian." Ellie whispered as she put her hand delicately on Caspian's forearm.

She led him to the sitting room and sat down in the armchair – it had always been her favourite place to sit in the sitting room. She hated the couch. She raised her head and saw Caspian standing by her side.

"Please do sit down." She said, showing him the couch.

He did as told and sat down silently. She unfolded the Domino's Pizza flyer and had a look at the different pizzas.

"I could eat most of them!" She laughed looking at Caspian.

"What is Spain?" He asked, no really paying attention to what she was saying.

"Oh… Um, it is a country. In the South of Europe. Remember how I told you that we were in England? Well, England is part of a… how could I call it? Bigger land? And this bigger land is called Europe. And there are many different countries in Europe, including Spain. It is in the South, so there's more sun and people are tanned, like you." She held out her pale arm to him. "See how my skin is pale compare to yours?"

Caspian looked at his hand before moving it next to Ellie's arm – his complexion was a little fairer than milk chocolate while Ellie's was porcelain-like.

"Also, they have an accent that is very similar to yours. So I thought you'd be Spanish."

"But, I am a Telmarine!" He exclaimed, frowning.

"A what?" Ellie repeated.

"A Telmarine. That's my race."

"Oh…" Ellie wasn't sure what she was meant to say. "Well, you'll be a Telmarine to me, but a Spaniard to my family. Is that alright with you?"

"I think so." He resigned himself.

"By the way, tomorrow we'll take the bus to the city centre to buy you some clothes. You'll need them."

He nodded before turning his attention to the flyer Ellie was now playing with. This situation was so odd that she felt a little nervous. It was like one big secret and she was afraid her parents would find out the truth about Caspian and would call him mad and would send him god knows where.

"So, what is a pizza?" Caspian asked, his tone a little lighter.

Ellie happily explained him what a pizza was, and how much people liked them. Soon they were done choosing what they wanted and Ellie's mother ordered the food. Thirty minutes later, everybody was sitting in the room, enjoying their meal. Ellie's father was quiet as usual, only eyeing Caspian when he thought no one would notice. Ellie was a little annoyed with his behaviour, but then again, maybe she was being fooled by Caspian and would be murdered savagely during her sleep. She shook her head, unable to believe Caspian could be such a good actor. No, his story was weird, but it made sense. If you were open-minded enough to believe it, that is. And she wanted to believe him. Her mother was a little more curious and kept asking Caspian questions about his family and how he liked England and whether London was not too insane for him.

Caspian avoided all questions avoiding his father, which surprised Ellie. He said he was an only child, and that he had mainly been raised by his nurse and then when he was older, his professor. He also said that he liked horse riding and fishing, and reading about mythology and old tales. The way he spoke about his childhood, there was something very soft about his voice and Ellie couldn't help but be fascinated by him. His broad shoulders and his features made him look so masculine and strong, yet she couldn't shake this feeling of protection she felt towards him.

Around 10 o'clock, Ellie yawned, exhausted with today's adventures.

"Well, I think I'll be off to bed now. Jamie, do you think you could lend some clothes to sleep in? Caspian came without a suitcase. I'll go drag the extra mattress to my room."

"I'll do it." Her father almost interrupted. "Go change yourself, I'll take care of it."

"And I will go have a look," James added. "Just come with me Caspian."

Ellie thanked her father and brother before walking up to the bathroom. She changed herself to her pink and gray pyjamas and brushed her teeth before pulling her hair off the ponytail and brushing it as well. She had a long look at herself in the mirror, making sure she looked good. Looked good? Why did it matter? She shook her head before realising that she wanted to look good in front of Caspian. How silly of her! She hardly knew him, he came from another world and was clearly in love with this Susan girl who could probably be his grandmother now, and still she wanted to look good. Such a girl thing to do!

She walked out of the bathroom to her bedroom and found Caspian wearing an old grey t-shirt and checked pyjama. The mattress was lying by the window.

"That's all we could find!" Her brother explained, popping his head through the door frame. "But that's comfortable enough, isn't it Caspian?"

"Yes, it is fine." Caspian nodded. "Thank you, James."

"You're welcome mate. Well, off I am. Goodnight you two. And don't do anything you might regret in the morning!"

If eyes could kill, Ellie's look would have probably sent James straight to his grave.

"What did your brother mean?" Caspian asked, a bit lost.

"Nothing worth explaining..." Ellie muttered.

She went to a closet and took out sheets and extra pillows. She kneeled down to make Caspian's "bed" as nice as possible. When she was done, she stood up and turned to him: "Tada! Sorry it's not super comfy, but if your back hurt or anything, let me know and we'll just switch beds, alright?"

"You do not have to worry about me. When we fought my uncle Miraz, we had to sleep on the ground." He said matter-of-factly.

"Fight your uncle?!" Ellie exclaimed, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Yes."

"Do you... d'you mind talking about it?"

"Mmm..." Caspian sighed, considering. "No, I think not."

He lay down on the mattress, popping his head in his hand so that he could look at Ellie while telling his story.

"My uncle killed my father when I was a child," He began, ignoring Ellie's horrified look on her face. "He kept me alive and took care of me until my aunt gave birth to a son. My father was the real King of Narnia, so technically I was the real heir to the throne. But when Miraz became the father of a son, he finally had a reason to get rid of me and appropriate the throne. I had to flee and thanks to the help of the Narnians and High King Peter and Queen..." He made a pause. "Queen Susan the Gentle, and King Edmund and dear Queen Lucy, I fought him and was crowned King of Narnia. Well, I am making a long story short."

"But he was your uncle! How could he do such a terrible, terrible thing? Oh Caspian, I am so sorry." She said, honestly moved by his story. "So you really are a king?" She whispered.

"I really am." He shrugged. "I have no idea why I was sent to your world, Eleanor."

"I wish I could tell you, Caspian. Still, something tells me it may have something to do with Queen Susan."

Caspian looked down before lying on his back and closing his eyes.

"I thought she was a fantastic warrior," He spoke slowly. "She was a very skilful archer, and she was wise and thoughtful. And... and she had the most beautiful blue eyes and pink lips." He sighed. "How I wish Aslan never told her she could never return to Narnia. I should have tried to convince him to let her stay. Life has been so long and dull without her by my side."

Ellie stared at him, impressed that a man would openly talk about his feelings. She'd ended up convincing herself that all men were pigs anyway, and that she shouldn't hope for much anymore. And there he was, handsome man speaking freely of his love for his Queen.

"If you will," Ellie spoke up, "you can come and stay at my place back in London. If Susan's still alive and living in London, maybe we could find her? After all, that's what the Yellow Pages are for!"

Caspian opened his eyes and turned his head to face Ellie, a faint smile on his face. "I would love it if we could do that, Eleanor. You are very kind to me and I shall reciprocate when time has come."

"Don't you worry about it, Caspian. Well, I think a good night's sleep would do us good. Do you mind if I turn the light off?" She asked, standing up and walking to the switch.

"No, please do."

She did so and jumped back into bed.

"Good night, Caspian."

"Good night, Eleanor."


	4. Chapter 4

Christmas came and went, and things went as good as they could. Ellie's father had stayed quiet during her entire stay, while her mother had clearly been trying to make some efforts and improve things between her and her daughter.

As for Caspian, he had experienced Christmas with much curiosity, telling Ellie how different it was back in Narnia one night as they were both lying in their beds, and how his country had been deprived of the celebration for a long time, long before he was born. All these stories amazed Ellie, who still found it all hard to believe at times, but then again, imagination tends to flee as you grow older.

They left Coventry on the 27th December and took a train back to London. During the journey, Ellie noticed several girls looking at Caspian with much interest, and without knowing why exactly she felt a pinprick of jealousy. She felt very protective of him, and couldn't help but think that _she_ had found him in her back garden. She was fully aware that he was not his possession, but still. She didn't want any girls to look at him _like that_, in a sexual way. She turned her head to look at him sitting opposite her, looking through the window. It's true that he was handsome. She tried to ignore it most of the time because it was not the right time or the right place. She'd fallen for too many unreachable boys in the past, or too many boys who could not be around forever, and the king of a parallel world was more or less the embodiment of all this. But as he was sitting in his black coat with his red scarf around his neck, his hands scratching the dark blue jeans at lap level, she wished that all the lies she had told her parents were true, and that Caspian could be part of her life. For real.

He looked up and his gaze met hers. She turned her head to the window quickly, feeling the blush get to her cheeks.

"This thing is very incredible," Caspian said, ignoring – or not having noticed – Ellie's watching. "It goes so fast. Does it really transport you from one end of the country to the other? We have to walk in Narnia, or ride. Something like this," He showed the inside of the train with his hands. "could really be useful to the Narnians."

Ellie smiled. "Wait until you see the Tube, Caspian." She answered softly.

She loved how everything in her world amazed him. He was in no way naïve or simple-minded. When he talked about Narnia and how he fought for his country, he was a real warrior, a soldier. Someone strong-headed and incredibly wilful. She could imagine how much the Narnians respected him. But here, he seemed like a child discovering new things everywhere he looked, and it was rather adorable.

Less than one hour later, the train had arrived in Euston. Ellie grabbed her bag as well as Caspian's before he insisted on carrying both. Ellie resisted, assuring him that it was not all that heavy really. But he was a king, he whispered, and it was his duty to help the lady. Usually she would have argued that she was not handicapped, that she could very well take care of herself thank you very much, but she knew Caspian didn't mean it that way, that he was not playing the macho. He was being a gentleman, and maybe she shouldn't be so uptight and stuck in her feminist beliefs. After all, they didn't belong to the same worlds.

She led him down to the busy Tube and they queued to buy their tickets.

"I've got a card," Ellie explained. "But you need a ticket to use public transports. I'll buy you a weekly ticket, because... well... I've no idea how long you're going to stay, you know?"

Caspian nodded. He watched as Ellie chose the ticket on the machine screen and followed her without saying a word when she walked to the gates to access the Tube. She took her bag back and handed Caspian his ticket.

"See," Ellie said. "You just put it in the whole here, and the gate will let you walk through. Easy as that!"

She walked through the gate herself and waited for Caspian. He tried to slip his ticket a first time but it didn't work. Ellie walked back to him and helped him out, cursing at the person behind Caspian for being too impatient and showing it a bit too much to her liking. _'It's his first time in London and he's never taken the Tube. I don't think waiting five seconds will kill you! You twat!'_ Finally, Caspian got through and they walked down to the platform. The next train would not be there before three minutes, it said, so Ellie and Caspian sat down on a bench and waited quietly. The young man looked very impressed during the ten-minute ride, enjoying a new aspect of this world he now 'lived' in. Aware that sharing his feelings openly in front of the strangers would make him sound strange, he waited until he was out on the street walking to Ellie's flat to express his view about the Tube.

"So, it really is under the ground?"

"Uh uh..." Ellie confirmed as she looked for her keys in her messy handbag.

"But how do they make it work?"

"To be honest..." She answered as she proudly grabbed her keys out. "I've got no idea. I mean, all the technical details... I've no idea. I just take it without questioning its functioning very much. But we could look up the Internet, if you want." She went on as she pushed the door open with her left foot.

Caspian nodded, more to please her than not as he had no clue what the Internet was. He picked up Ellie's bag and followed her as she walked up the first floor and opened a second door.

"Tada!" She exclaimed as she turned on the light. "Excuse the mess, I was late when I left, as usual."

Caspian looked around him. The hallway was narrow and its walls white. He followed Ellie as she led him to the living room. It was indeed very messy, with dirty plates on the table and clothes lying around on the couch. But the room felt warm – both in temperature and spirit.

"I share the place with a friend of mine, Christina. She's from the States though, so she's flown back there for the end of the year's celebrations. She won't be back before mid-January. You could use her room in the meantime, I don't think she'll mind. I'll just change the sheets for you before bedtime so that you sleep in a fresh, clean bed." She laughed.

Caspian looked at her as she switched the kitchen's lights on and opened the fridge to pour them a glass of orange juice. She kept talking and talking, not noticing that he was studying her from afar. She was fairly small, especially compared to him, but her silhouette was very feminine. Her long chestnut hair fell down on her back, and he had noticed that she was always playing with it. As she turned around to hand him his glass, he noticed that her green eyes sparkled. They didn't when she was at her parents'. She was definitely pretty, beautiful even, but she couldn't compare to his beloved Susan. Still, he was happy that she had been the one to find him. Had it been somebody else, perhaps he wouldn't have been so lucky as to be trusted and taken care of.

"So, I would usually just order pizza, but we had that not so long ago at my parents'. I've got potatoes and veggies though, how would you like that for tea? I don't have any meat sorry, because I don't eat any. But if you need your meat, I can pop out to the off licence down the street and get you some."

"Oh, no, thank you very much Eleanor. I do not want you to go outside now that it is dark. Potatoes and... veggies..." He repeated hesitantly. "will be just fine."

"Veggies is short for vegetables, just so you know." She smiled, winking at him. "How about I go take a shower, and once I'm done you go take yours? So that while you're showering I'll prepare supper?"

"It is an excellent idea!" He smiled.

"Great! Well, off I am then. Just... put yourself at ease, have a look at things. Feel free to explore really, I've got nothing to hide."

She squeezed his forearm slightly before heading off to the bathroom. Her touch was light as a feather, he thought. She was so strong, living by herself without any relatives, yet he could sense something very fragile about Ellie.

When she came out of the bathroom about half an hour later, he was sitting on the couch in the dark, his face in his hands. Ellie stopped in her track as she saw him. She tiptoed to the couch and sat down to his feet, resting her right hand on his knee. At the touch, he lifted his head and stared at her. His gaze was so intense that Ellie shivered.

"Are you alright Caspian?" She asked, worried. "Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"I... I... miss my country and my friends." He admitted.

"Oh Caspian..." Ellie squeezed his knee, trying to show him she sympathized.

"I am so sorry. I know that I am a burden to you, and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me. But sitting here all by myself, I could not help but think of Narnia..."

She could tell he was holding back the tears. Was there some unspoken law that men didn't cry as well in Narnia? She stood up and took his hand in hers, leading him to the bathroom. As he stood there watching her, she took out a large towel, shower gel and a flannel which she handed him.

"Take a long, warm shower. We will find a solution, I promise you. I don't know how or when, but I promise you we'll manage to send you back to Narnia."

He bowed, a way to show his gratitude, she knew. She left him after making sure once more that he was ok, and went to cook them supper. She usually loved cooking with some old Motown songs playing loud on her laptop, singing along to them as off tune as she could, but she wasn't in the mood that evening. She was too worried about Caspian, despite him promising he was better and had just felt a little lonely. She could only imagine how hard things must be for him, and she wanted to make sure she would help him best as she could.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear him come into the kitchen. It's only when she felt his body behind her, the smell of the shower gel she'd bought him back in Coventry – he had joked her he didn't mind the strawberries really, but liked the smell of his own men's shower gel best – tickling her nose.

She startled and turned around to face him.

"Oh, hey Caspian!" She mumbled. "Are you... are you feeling better? Did the shower help?"

"Yes, very much. Thank you Eleanor... for everything." He said humbly.

"You know it's ok." She smiled faintly. "So, does it look tasty to you?" She asked trying to change the subject.

"It very much does!" He said, licking his lips. "You seem to be a talented cook."

"Oh, I wouldn't say so. I like cooking, that's all. Cooking is fun." She answered. "Do you like cooking yourself?"

"I have never cooked before." He said matter-of-factly. "I have always had someone to cook for me, ever since I was a little boy."

"Yes, naturally! As a prince, and now king, you wouldn't cook would you?"

"No. I could tell what I liked and what I did not like, but I would not cook myself."

"Do you want to try?"

The rest of the evening was spent having fun and chatting, watching some television – though Caspian couldn't understand how people would want to sit staring at the box for hours instead of going outside and meet their friends. When midnight came, Ellie got up and went to make Caspian's bed in Christina's bedroom. She worked the next day and needed some sleep. Caspian brought a bottle of water to his bedroom and waited for Ellie to be done. When she was, she wished him goodnight and kissed his cheek softly.

"Goodnight, my dear Caspian."

And off she was, leaving him with thousands of questions in his head.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: **I really struggled with this chapter. The rest of the fic is all planned out, but I needed to write this first and it was one tough delivery. Anyway, I hope you'll like it at least a little anyway, and hopefully the next chapter will be better.

* * *

One week had passed by since Ellie had gone back to work. She tried to hurry back home in the evening so that Caspian was not alone for too long. On Monday evening, she had shown him around the area so that he could go out without getting lost the next days while she was at the bookshop. She could only imagine how boring it must be for him to be stuck in her small flat the whole day. He needed space and the outdoors, but she had to work and she worried about anything that could happen to him. London was no Narnia, and even if he was a valiant king back in his country, danger was all around him in this world too, only he could not walk around with his sword.

It was now Friday evening. The past couple of evenings Ellie had showed him around the city, introducing him to Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben and all of London's famous monuments. Caspian proved to be a very curious visitor, asking all sort of questions about the country's government and rules. But when Ellie came back on Friday, she told him she had something of high importance to share with him and that maybe they should sit down.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked her worryingly.

"I'm perfectly fine, Caspian. It's just that... I have something I need to tell you, and hopefully it'll make you happy."

"What is it, then?"

Ellie took a deep breath and began her story.

"Well, this week I have been doing some research and... I think I may have found Queen Susan."

"You what?" Caspian exclaimed.

"Queen Susan. I looked up for Pevensie in the Yellow Pages, and came across a Mary Pevensie. I rang her and it was really odd asking her all these personal questions like 'is your mother's name Susan?' or 'do you have uncles and aunts?'. I think she thought I was some sort of stalker at first, but I begged her to trust me and swore I was no lunatic... Anyways, she happened to be Susan's daughter. I can't believe how lucky I was to find her straight away. I guess it was destiny! So this happened on Tuesday and to prove her that I was serious, I asked her to phone her mother and tell her about you, and ring me back to the shop if Susan agreed to get in touch. And she did this morning. And Susan... Susan is still alive and she lives in Kensington and she would love to see you again, Caspian. Can you believe it?"

Ellie was beyond excited. Caspian, on the other hand, was in awe. He stared at Ellie who didn't seem to realise just how he felt. She'd been looking for Susan the whole time because she knew it mattered to him, and because she'd promised him to. She'd kept her promise. And she had succeeded. He was going to see Susan again. And she had a daughter. His heart ached a little at the thought. He had never been able to forget about his Queen, but in her world she had met someone and had a child with them. Could she be blamed for it, though? Aslan had said she'd never go back to Narnia. Yes, forgetting about Caspian was the best thing she could have done. It had been so hard for him, carrying on and ruling over Narnia when his heart still beat strongly in his chest every second that he thought about his Gentle Queen. So much that he had never been able to fall in love with another woman.

"Caspian? Did you hear me?"

"Wh-what?" He asked, shaken out of his daydreaming.

"Susan. She said she would love to see you again. We can go see her tomorrow in the afternoon, if you would like?"

He only nodded, his heart beating faster, unable to deal with all the different feelings that seemed to suddenly control all of his body. He was sure that he'd been sent to this world to see Susan again, to talk to her one last time and to move on. She'd had a life; now it was time for him to live his own.

"Thank you. Very much. You have no idea how much this means to me Eleanor."

Ellie only nodded. Sometimes silence is better than words.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ellie had knocked on Susan's door and she was now waiting for it to be opened. Caspian was standing by her side nervously. He tried to hide it but she could feel him tense and worried. Finally, a young woman opened the door.

"Are you the visitors my mother's waiting for?" She asked a little bit coldly.

"Yes, I'm Eleanor. I'm the one who contacted you. And this is Caspian." Ellie answered, trying to ignore Mary's tone.

"Mum's in the sitting room. Please follow me."

She didn't even give Caspian a second look and turned around, gesturing for them to follow her. The house felt warm compared to the cold January weather. Susan must have married a rich man, because the decoration was quite posh and precious. Finally, they entered a room where an old lady was sitting, looking out the window.

"Your guests, mum."

The old lady turned around and smiled at the sight of Ellie and Caspian.

"Caspian!" She exclaimed, obviously moved to see him again but her big smile never leaving her face. "You haven't changed a bit. I can't say the same about myself, though."

Caspian slowly walked towards Susan. He could recognise her blue eyes and her full lips. Yes, she was the young woman he'd fallen in love with. The Gentle Queen who'd helped him get his throne back.

"Susan…" He whispered as his fingers brushed her cheek. "It _is_ you."

Ellie was standing at the back of the room, shivers running down her spine. It was so touching, so beautiful. She could feel the intensity of their reunion. He really had loved her, and she could tell Susan had loved him too by the way she let him hold her in his arms.

Susan's daughter came back with tea and biscuits.

"Please, do sit down Eleanor." Susan said politely. "So you're the one who found my dear Caspian?" She asked, squeezing Caspian's hand as he helped her sit back down.

"Yes, found is definitely the right word."

"And you believed him when he told you about Narnia?"

Ellie had never told Caspian what her initial reaction had been. She felt a bit embarrassed, all the more as Caspian was looking at her with interest.

"Well… um… At first I… You know… I thought he was mad."

Susan laughed out loud, while Caspian looked a little offended.

"Please don't take personally Caspian, but you were dressed in the strangest clothes and you had a huge sword and you told me you were a king. What was I supposed to think?"

"I remember how we didn't believe Lucy – my little sister – when she told us she'd been to Narnia. We thought it was just her wild imagination – she was so young. And I was trying to be all grown-up and refused to play along. You can only imagine how I felt when we indeed entered Narnia through the back of the wardrobe…" Susan paused, letting the sweet memories come back to her. "Mary has always thought I was slightly insane. And with my siblings gone… I'm the only one left to talk about Narnia…"

"Gone?" Caspian repeated, not sure he understood what she meant.

"Died. Peter, Edmund and Lucy passed away. It was the worst time of my life. I cried and cried for weeks. I refused to get over it and move on. I loved them more than words can say. I… I… I had rejected Narnia. I wanted to be an adult. And Narnia could not fit into this new world I wanted to be part of. When Peter, Edmund and Lucy died, it was a shock. And I promised myself to never ignore Narnia again, because we had lived the best years of our lives there, and Narnia had meant so much to them. That was the least I could do. And I loved you there Caspian. You know I did, don't you?"

Caspian simply nodded.

"I… Could you tell me where the loo is?" Ellie asked.

"Certainly! Mary could you please walk Eleanor to the toilets?"

Mary nodded and made her way out of the room followed by Ellie. Ellie locked herself in the bathroom and rested her back against the door. She didn't need to go to the toilets, but she felt she had to leave Caspian and Susan alone. They probably had personal things to talk about, and her and Mary's presence was surely awkward.

Moreover, even if she was honestly happy for Caspian, that pinprick of jealousy showed up once again. She could tell Susan had been beautiful, even more beautiful than in the photo Caspian had kept. Her shiny blue eyes, and her lips which were still full despite her old age… How could she even refuse to admit that Caspian had been in love with a beauty, and above all a courageous, strong beauty. Everything she was not. And he would probably go back to Narnia and end up marrying someone who was worth him. And she'd been all alone once again. And she couldn't help feeling jealous. She wasn't even sure she fancied Caspian, it was just that… They'd been together all the time these past few weeks, and she felt he was his. And she hated herself for feeling like this, because he was not her thing, her propriety, her possession.

"Eleanor? Are you alright?" She heard Mary ask through the door.

"Um… Yes, I'm… I'm good."

She pulled herself together and put on a smile as she walked out of the loo.

"Sorry, I was not waiting here for you to come out," Mary said. "But I went to smoke a cigarette and when I came back you were still locked in there, so I was wondering what was wrong."

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you." Ellie answered politely.

When they both walked back in the sitting room, Susan was crying and Caspian looked upset. Mary didn't say a thing, and neither did Ellie.

"Do you want me to come back later Caspian?" Ellie suggested. "I could go for a walk while you and Susan…"

"No, I think Queen Susan and I told each other everything we needed to say." He snapped back, looking at Susan.

"Caspian…" Susan whispered. "Trust me please."

Caspian stood up before leaning down to kiss Susan's cheek.

"I am so happy I got to see you again Caspian."

"Me too," Caspian whispered. "Me too, my Gentle Queen."

He turned around to face Ellie and they left Susan's house. Caspian didn't say a word on the way back home, and Ellie didn't dare asking him anything. She couldn't tell whether he was angry or upset or sad. When they made it to her place, he excused himself and went to his bedroom, leaving Ellie alone wondering what he and Susan may have talked about.


	6. Chapter 6

Caspian was lying in his bed, his eyes fixing something that only he could see it seemed. They had got used to the darkness of the room, and he could make out the hands of Christina's clock on her bedside table: 1:05am. He sighed, wishing he could either get some sleep or make time go by faster and see the sun rise at last.

Seeing his Gentle Queen again, and the words she'd said. It felt like an incredible mess inside his head, questions popping up from every corner of his brain – thousands of thoughts that he was incapable of shutting off. _'How do you feel about Eleanor?'_ she'd asked almost innocently. How did he feel about Eleanor? And why did she even ask? What did she mean by that? Deep down he couldn't help but think that Susan knew more than she had claimed to know about him being sent to her world. Otherwise she wouldn't have asked him about his feelings for Eleanor.

Eleanor. He closed his eyes again as he whispered her name once, twice, thrice. It sounded so soft, and he liked how his tongue rolled against his teeth as he pronounced it. How did he feel about her? Well, she had trusted him when she discovered him in her parents' back garden. And she had helped him out, and taken good care of him. And cheered him up when he needed it. And she cooked him lovely food. And made him smile. And whenever their bodies touched – may it be her squeezing his arm to show him support or him resting his hand on her shoulder to show her how grateful he was – it felt like electricity. But after all, he was a man, and she was a woman. And they lived together just like a couple. Well, almost. So maybe it was a natural thing to feel? Or was it? After all, he lived around many women back in Narnia, and many of them openly admitted to fancying him. And the young Telmarine ladies were much to his taste in general. Yet no one made him feel the way Eleanor made him feel. Only... only his Gentle Queen Susan had. Every time their eyes had met, he had felt his body react in every way possible: goose bumps, spinning head, shivers, butterflies in the stomach. Perhaps it wasn't all that strong with Eleanor, but he felt as if he could read her soul, as if he could be honest with her and be the real Caspian. She never judged him, and he had to admit to missing her while she was at work during the day.

His eyes popped open as he heard her bedroom door creak. She'd said she hated the sound of creaking noises - especially beds - that it stressed her out. Tomorrow – or rather, later today – he would do something about it. That was the least he could do after all she'd done for him. He held his breath as she walked past his bedroom to the kitchen, then to the bathroom. Thoughts raced through his head – he had to know. He had to know how he felt about her. He had to understand the meaning of Susan's words. Suddenly that was all that his mind could focus on. Nothing else mattered. He stood up quietly and opened the door as she was about to walk back into her room. She cursed at the creaking door before turning around to face him as he whispered her name to catch her attention.

"Caspian, did I wake you up?" She whispered. "I'm sorry if I have, I needed to go to the loo. Why am I whispering?" She laughed faintly. "It's just you and me in this flat and we're both a-"

She never finished her sentence as his mouth covered hers without hesitation. He felt her body tense as he put his hands on her hips, and he was going to pull off when her hands moved around his neck and she got on tiptoe to reach his mouth. She was kissing him back. He pulled her closer to him as she bit his lower lip, moaning faintly. They pulled away only to catch their breaths, Caspian's forehead resting on Ellie's.

"Why... why did you do that?" She panted.

"I... I needed to."

"Needed?" She was obviously surprised.

"I needed to know how I felt about you." He explained.

"Wh-why?" She felt her knees go weak. His strong Spanish accent was even more arousing at this precise moment.

"I can't explain. But I needed to find out."

"Oh... and... how do you feel then?"

He covered her mouth again, this time licking her lips to slide his tongue in her mouth when she parted them. Her mouth was warm and tasted like mint, and she was answering his kiss with much eagerness. Their tongues intertwined, his hands began to travel up and down Ellie's back as she played with his hair at the back of his neck. Her body shivered as he slid his burning hands under the tight white t-shirt she slept in. He thought back of the women he'd had in Narnia – no, he had never _needed_ to feel them the way he needed to feel Eleanor at this very moment. As he made her body move towards her bed, he felt her hands suddenly push his chest with a strength he didn't even imagine she had.

"Eleanor..." He whispered, panting. "What are you..."

"We... I... can't." She said coldly.

She stepped away from him, avoiding his gaze.

"But I thought that you... Eleanor I..."

"No, please, Caspian. This is the stupidest thing we could ever do. Please, go back to your room. Please."

He wasn't sure whether she was commanding him to or begging for him to leave. But one thing he knew was that he could not argue with her decision. She'd made up her mind. Without looking back, he turned around and went back to bed. His tense body hurt – he was so terribly ready for her. He lay down in bed, tried to cool down and go back to sleep. Only he knew things would be very awkward when they would have to face each other in a few hours' time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ellie woke up to the noise of a slamming door. Her heart skipped a beat, and she jumped out of bed. The flat was empty and quiet. Too quiet. She rushed to Caspian's bedroom – he was gone. She ran to the window but he was nowhere to be seen. What had she done? All of the night's events came back to her mind as a flash. She should have never reacted the way she had. She'd been a complete idiot. Why had she kissed him back? And why had he kissed her in the first place? Oh, how she had wanted this. There was no point in lying to herself. Caspian was a very attractive man, and they had good fun together. And he was sweet, and kind, and polite, and clever. And pretty much everything one could dream of. But he also came from another world, and he was a king, and he would have to go back to his country one day or another. So what was the point in becoming attached to him? As she kissed him, as she felt her body react to every single caress. She knew that going all the way would only make her fall in love with him, and she refused to let this happen.

She threw herself on the couch and began to sob. If only she hadn't accepted to celebrate Christmas with her parents. She'd been saying no for years, and just when she finally gave in, a prince charming in shining armour had to appear in her back garden. Call it irony.

Her teary eyes were drawn to the notebook Caspian had been writing in the past few days. He always had it with him, ready to scribble down his every thought. She stroked the cover – her fingers almost burnt. She only opened it to the first page, and smiled faintly at the title Caspian had given his journal: "Caspian's strange journey". His handwriting looked rather nice for a man's. Ellie didn't read any further, because she thought it to be very impolite and nosey. She brought the notebook to her face and breathed it in deeply. It smelled of Caspian. His strong, masculine smell.

Hours passed by and he never came back. Ellie was getting more and more worried. Had he run away? Where to? Or had he been attacked? Or was he back in Narnia and she'd never know? Her heart sank at the thought. She wanted to call the police, but what would she tell them? They would never believe a word of her story. No, all she could was wait, and hope he would be back somehow. And then... Then, she had no idea. But at that moment it didn't really matter. She just wanted to know he was safe.

She only realised that she had fallen asleep when she felt the notebook she squeezed against her chest being taken away. She startled and saw that Caspian was trying to get a hold of it.

"I didn't read it!" was the first thing she said.

He didn't answer, but something even worse made her shiver. His eyes. They had no expression. They showed no sadness, no anger, no pain. Nothing.

"Caspian, I was so worried. I was afraid you were gone forever. Or that something had happened to you. I'm so sorry I…" she tried to touch his arm but he stepped back. She felt her heart sink as he did so. "Where have you been?" She asked, trying hold back the tears.

"I was at Queen Susan's." He answered coldly.

Ellie's heart sank even deeper if it was possible. She had thought that her behaviour was the reason for Caspian's disappearing, but he only wanted to see Susan again. As if he could read her mind, he went on. "To ask her questions about you."

"Me?" She repeated faintly.

"Yes. You." His voice was still cold, and she didn't dare asking him why he had to talk about her with Queen Susan.

"Caspian I… I… I know I shouldn't have behaved the way I did last night. But…"

"But what, Eleanor?"

"But…" She bent her head, ashamed to tell him how she truly felt looking at him in the eyes. "I've had one-night stands in the past, you know. And I thought I could deal with them. I thought that they didn't affect me. That I could have some fun without the consequences of a broken heart. But I was only fooling myself. And if we'd made love Caspian… I'm not sure I could have dealt with it only being physical. And with you going away."

"And what tells you that it would have only been physical, Eleanor?" His voice was deep and serious. But she didn't want to hear more. She was too scared of what he would say.

"You know you can stay as long as you want, Caspian." She said, changing the subject. "Don't ever think that what happened – or rather did _not_ happen – between us will change that."

"But do you not understand, Eleanor?" He almost shouted. "It is not about wanting to be here. It is about being stuck here. It is all Aslan's will. I have no power over my destiny in this world. I will only go back to Narnia when Aslan decides that it is time for me to. And now that I know why I was sent here I just…"

He never finished his sentence. Instead, he stormed off to his room. Eleanor fell back down on the couch and cried all the tears that had gathered in her eyes. He hated her. She knew he did. He wouldn't even tell her why he had been sent to England now that he knew. Yes, whatever chemistry existed between them was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**AU:**_ This is a short chapter, but it's a transition one. Hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to review it (or the whole story if you prefer)._ :)

**Chapter Seven**

Two days later, Ellie was brushing her hair in front of the bathroom's mirror when she heard Caspian grab his shoes and walk to the living room. They hardly spoke since their 'argument' after Caspian had gone to see Susan again. Ellie merely enquired about whether she should cook for two or not, and Caspian's answers were more often mumbled than articulate. It broke Ellie's heart, and how many times had she opened her mouth ready to pour her heart out to him? To tell him that she refused for them to be mere strangers living under the same roof. But Caspian's look was dark and gloomy and she was always scared that he would shout at her and leave again, and this time for good. So she kept quiet, waiting to see what would happen next.

She heard him put his coat on. Without thinking twice, she put her brush back down on the shelf by the sink and went to join him. She felt like a little girl who had been naughty and grounded by her father, afraid to go back to him and tell him she was sorry for what she'd done. She approached Caspian, almost like a vampire, without making any noise. He startled when he saw her behind him, playing with her hair just like she always did.

He hated to admit it, but it was killing him not to be on speaking terms with her. He kept thinking about the kisses they'd shared, and Susan's revelations, and he knew Ellie was more than the girl who'd found him. She was much, much more than this. And when he looked at her, it was so obvious that he couldn't understand how he had missed it in the first place. And he hated himself all the more for having screwed everything up. But he was too proud to admit it. Or rather, he was too proud to admit it to her. He was a king after all, and he had deserved his title. He had fought for it. He was not the kind to apologise so easily. And the Telmarine blood in his veins prevented him for doing so, too. She had kissed him back after all. And then _she_ had pushed him away. The Telmarine blood in his veins. Yes, this was exactly where the problem laid.

"Are you…" She coughed, hesitantly. "Are you going somewhere?"

He could tell she was afraid of his answer. She hadn't even dared looking at him in the eyes when she asked him. But he could also tell from her trembling voice that it took her much courage to ask him, to pretend that nothing was wrong between them. He could tell from her trembling voice that… that maybe she was afraid to lose him. Or was she?

"Yes, I am." He answered shortly. His voice was neither cold nor softened. He had tried to keep it neutral.

"Do you mind if… if I join you maybe?"

This time she did catch his gaze, and what he saw in her eyes made him shiver. She was begging him to say yes. She wouldn't say the words, but he could read it in her eyes. He took a deep breath, trying to weigh the pros and cons. He needed to escape, but he also needed her. Perhaps forcing himself to spend some time with her would help him speak to her, and tell her what he now knew. Who she really was in Caspian's strange journey.

"No, I do not think I mind, Eleanor." He finally whispered.

Her face lit up a little as he spoke the words. She hurried to grab her shoes and put her coat and scarf on, and buried her keys in her pocket as she walked to the door. He followed her and couldn't help but let a small smile appear on his oh-so serious face. She was like a little girl as she concentrated on putting on her gloves, sliding her little finger in the same hole as the ring finger's, as she always did. His face grew serious again at the thought of his destiny, of Eleanor's destiny. Life has a funny way to make things happen. And to take them away from you, too.

"So, where did you plan on going to? It's getting dark already."

"I felt like going to Trafalgar Square."

"Trafalgar? How come?" She frowned.

"I do not know. I suddenly felt like going there, as if something invisible pushed me to."

"Oh, I see."

Then she fell silent and walked by his side. She usually intertwined her arm to his as they walked, but he noticed that she was making sure there was a space between them this time. Was he so scary?

When they finally got to Trafalgar, Caspian sat down on the freezing edge of one of the fountains. Ellie sat down next to him and lay her hands on her lap. They were so cold despite the woollen gloves. Caspian didn't say a word. He seemed to be lost in deep thoughts, and Eleanor wasn't too sure whether she should speak up or stay quiet. The silence felt so oppressive, though, that she couldn't take it anymore and tried to start a conversation.

"I never take the time to appreciate this city anymore." She said softly, the cold air making her exhalation look like smoke.

"In your world," Caspian began, "You are too busy, and you reject the nature that makes your world be what it is. In Narnia, we all live together, Telmarines and fauns and talking mice and centaurs. Everybody. It was not always so. But we have learnt to live together. I am not sure you will ever learn that here."

Eleanor sniffed, and as she took Caspian's hand in hers - something that seemed so natural at this very moment, forgetting all about their feud and how she thought that the young King hated her – she whispered: "Narnia sounds amazing. The way you describe it. I would love to see it with my own eyes."

No sooner had she pronounced the words than the edge of the fountain started shaking. She held on to Caspian's hand tighter. She looked around – the people rushing from one side of the square to the other didn't look like they felt the vibrations.

"Caspian? What's going on?"

But he didn't have the time to answer – if he had an answer at all. A hole formed in the fountain and they got sucked up in it. When Ellie opened her eyes again, she was no longer in London. She was by a lake, and it was sunny and the birds were singing. Or were they… speaking? No, she must have lost it. Perhaps she had fainted. That must be it. She was hallucinating all of this. Still, she could feel her hands shake and could hardly stand on her two feet. The rays of the sun fell right upon her and she suddenly felt very hot. And thirsty. She got rid of her gloves, and thick winter coat, and scarf. And her cardigan. And there she was, in her light pink short-sleeved shirt. Then her thoughts went back to Caspian.

She turned around violently, wondering whether he was with her. And he was indeed. Standing by the lake, his hands resting on his hips, a huge smile across his face as he stared far into the horizon. He didn't seem to be lost or panicked. He even looked… happy. He had been gloomy the past couple of days and now he looked as though nothing could ever take that smile off his face.

Ellie walked up to him.

"Caspian?" She breathed heavily. "Where are we?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he started at the horizon some more, before turning his face to her and saying humbly, "We are in Narnia, Eleanor."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Whaaat? But what about my job? And my friends? And Christina? She's to be back in a couple of days!"

Ellie kept looking right and left, panic taking over her. She felt like a trapped animal with no way to escape. She just could _not _be stuck in Narnia. Unlike Caspian, she was no queen in London; she had a job, and if she didn't get back as soon as possible, she would get fired.

"Eleanor, Eleanor, Eleanor…" Caspian called her name many times before he could grab her shoulders and make her look at him. "Everything is going to be fine. We are in Narnia. This is my country."

"But it's not mine, Caspian!" She exclaimed.

"Well, now you know how I felt when I ended up in your back garden." He said softly.

Ellie stared at him, his piercing black eyes reaching her soul it felt. She hadn't even thought about this, but it was indeed easier to be the one who'd found Caspian than the one who was sent to a parallel world.

"Listen," He said. "Cair Paravel is about fifteen minutes away from here. We are going to walk back there, and then we will see what we can do. Do not worry, I am with you."

Ellie nodded – what else could she do anyway? Just as she thought things couldn't get any stranger, she saw Caspian reach for her hand and hold it. He didn't look at her as he did so, as if he was ashamed of something. But it felt so good, his fingers intertwined in hers, as if nothing had ever gone wrong between them. It must be Narnia. Caspian was back home, and it seemed like he had left all of his problems and worries in London. Ellie tried not to get her hopes up, though. She knew she'd hurt him and she also knew that he'd found out why he'd been sent to England in the first place. And he hadn't told her why, so it must be something of high importance. And she had to admit that it scared her a little, because she had no idea whether it had something to do with her or not.

The sun felt really hot as they walked through the woods to Cair Paravel. Ellie's hair was down, which didn't help. Not to mention that even though England was no Alaska, it was no Sahara either, so she had some trouble adjusting to such high temperatures. She wanted to wipe the sweat off her forehead, but one of her hands was held by Caspian, and the other held her winter clothes. And she was afraid that Caspian wouldn't hold her hand again if she used it, so she just ignored the sweat.

Finally, they came face to face with a marvellous castle made of white stones and marble. Ellie's breath was taken away. She just stayed there, her mouth slightly open out of astonishment.

"Do you like it?"

She came back to reality as she heard Caspian's voice. She turned her head to him, and suddenly felt so little next to him. Yes, she'd always known he was a king. But he really was Caspian to her. But now that she saw the castle that was his, it was all very real and everything that had happened made her blush. How she was jealous of girls staring at Caspian, how she teased him, how he looked at her, how she tried to cheer him up, how he had kissed her… How she had pushed him away. Yes, suddenly she felt little and ashamed of herself. For even thinking that someone like Caspian could be interested in her. That kiss, his need to spend the night with her. She had changed the subject when they had argued, but at this precise moment, she would have killed to know whether it was purely physical or if she meant more to him. Not because she was one of these material girls. No. But because if he really felt something for her, than she wanted to deserve it – every single beat that his heart made for her. Because now she could see how noble he must be, and she felt honoured in the most humble way.

"Y-yes. It's breath-taking, Caspian."

He simply smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Let's go meet my counsellors. I have no idea how long I've been away from here."

He led her through beautifully decorated rooms and endless staircases. Finally, he stopped in front of a thick wooden door and opened it without knocking. Ellie stayed behind, not sure whether she should follow him or not. What she saw, though, made her jaw drop. A gorgeous centaur and a dwarf almost jumped from behind the table they were bending over when Caspian entered the room.

"Your majesty!" The centaur exclaimed as he saw Caspian before bowing.

"Please, do not!" Caspian said quickly as the dwarf was going to bow as well. "Glemstorm! Trumpkin! How happy I am to see you again!"

"Well, your majesty, we have been so worried about you."

"How long have I been gone?" Caspian asked, frowning.

"Three months, sir."

"Three months?"

"Yes! When you disappeared, Reepicheep came back here as fast as his legs allowed him. We have been looking for you everywhere." The dwarf explained.

"Trumpkin and I have been taking care of Narnia ever since, but each day we met and tried to think of a place we must have forgotten. We thought you had been abducted."

"I was not." Caspian whispered. "But thank you dearly for ruling Narnia during my absence. I know I can count on you, you know you have all my trust."

The centaur and the dwarf bowed down to Caspian to show their gratitude for the King's kind words.

"I was not kidnapped, as I was saying." Caspian went on. "The strangest thing happened to me. I was sent to the other world. Where the Kings and Queens of Old came from. And this lovely young woman…" He paused and turned around to Ellie. "Dear Eleanor…"

He took Ellie's hand and led her inside the room so that she was facing the two Narnians.

"Trumpkin, Glemstorm, please meet Eleanor. She took care of me while I was in England. Eleanor, here are my dear friends Trumpkin and Glemstorm."

"Hello!" Ellie said shyly, waving her hand to them. They bowed to her and she felt even more intimidated.

"Trumpkin, Eleanor is going to stay with me as long as Aslan decides for her to live in Narnia. Have one of the maids get the room right next to mine ready…"

"The room right next to yours, sir?"

Ellie noticed the strange tone in the dwarf's voice. He seemed genuinely surprised that Caspian would make this particular choice, but Ellie had no idea why. She turned her attention to Caspian and saw that he seemed ill-at-ease about Trumpkin's behaviour.

"Yes, dear Trumpkin. The room right next to mine. And please, have a maid sent here so that Eleanor can be walked to her room. I will need to catch up on what you and Glemstorm have been up to and I will not have the opportunity to show the castle to Eleanor until later today."

Ellie listened as Caspian gave orders. He really was a king. He knew what he wanted, and how he wanted things to be done. He sounded nothing like the lost Caspian she had taken care of back in England. She didn't know how to feel about it. On the one hand, she was pretty lost and felt like he was a complete stranger. But on the other hand, there was something particularly arousing about him being in charge.

About fifteen minutes later, Trumpkin came back followed by an older woman. When she saw Caspian, she bowed down and told him how happy she was to have him back. He nodded and thanked her for her concern. He then turned to Ellie and explained to her that he needed to talk with Trumpkin and Glemstorm, but that he would try to join her as soon as possible to show her around Cair Paravel and have tea. She nodded and smiled faintly. For a split second, she wanted to get on tiptoe and kiss his cheek. A few hours earlier in England, she was afraid to get anywhere near him because of how angry he was, but everything felt different in Narnia. What stopped her from doing so was the fact that he was King Caspian X here, and she was unsure whether kissing him in front of his counsellors would be acceptable.

She followed the maid along the large corridor. Paintings hung on the walls, but the maid walked too fast for Ellie to have a proper look at them.

"Are these… paintings of the kings of Narnia?" She asked, panting as she tried to keep up with the maid's pace.

"Yes, dear. Actually," she stopped, "This is our dear King Caspian here."

She pointed her finger to the wall and Ellie turned to look at the painting. There he was, with his crown on his head and dressed, Ellie could tell, in clothes made of very expensive fabric. He looked proud, but his eyes showed fear.

"When was this?" Ellie inquired.

"That was right after the Kings and Queens of Old left us after winning the war against the Telmarines. Our dear Caspian had just been crowned."

"He looks gorgeous." Ellie murmured.

"He does, does he not? I wish our dear King found a woman to love. His heart was broken when Queen Susan was sent back to her world. No lady has been able to find the key to his heart since then. Though I have a feeling this might change soon…"

She never finished her sentence and gestured for Ellie to follow her. They reached a huge door made of fine marble.

"This is your room." The maid said. "It has got a door that leads to Caspian's own room right next to yours. I think he wants to have you near him."

"Mmm… I wouldn't be so sure." Ellie mumbled. "We kind of… argued before we were sent back here. Well, _he_ was sent back here. I was sent here full stop."

"Do not worry dear, whatever it was, Caspian seems to be over it. The only people who ever got to use this room were his own dear mother, and then Queen Susan."

Ellie frowned. His mother and Queen Susan?! What did that mean? She knew these women meant the world to Caspian. What… Why did he insist on her using this room then?

"Here is the key," the maid went on as she opened the door to what was now Ellie's room. "I advise you to stay here though. I think his majesty will not be long. He wants to have supper with you. You can have a look at the wardrobe: there are dresses and everything you will need. If you ever need anything, you let me know."

"I think I would like to refresh myself," Ellie said, afraid she was asking for too much too soon. "It is really hot in Narnia." She went on, feeling she needed an argument.

"Oh, but do not feel ashamed to ask. Trumpkin said you were a very important guest and that everything should be done to satisfy you. I will have a basin brought to you so that you can have a fresh bath."

Ellie thanked the maid and pushed the door open. What she saw left her completely flabbergasted: the room was huge, and it had an even huger four-poster bed opposite the large French windows that let the sun shine through. Ellie ran to them and gasped at the view: the beautiful Narnian hills were all she could see, and the river running through them sparkled under the high sun. She opened the windows and breathed in deeply – the air smelled like summer. She then turned her attention to the wardrobe. It had the most beautiful details, and it was engraved with gold. She hesitated before she opened it – it looked so precious, she was afraid she would break it. The wardrobe was full of beautiful gowns made of the finest fabrics. Ellie grabbed one out and laughed to herself as she looked at herself in the cheval glass. She looked just like a princess with that dress pressed against her.

She was interrupted by the maid knocking on the door. She was carrying a basin large enough for Ellie to sit in it, and was followed by three maids who carried three smaller basins full of water.

"Here is for you to refresh yourself, dear." The maid smiled.

"Oh, thank you so much. Have you seen these dresses? They're beautiful!"

The maid smiled faintly before getting closer to Ellie.

"May I?" She asked politely.

"Sure!"

The maid stroked the fabric delicately and sighed.

"Our dear King had these made for Queen Susan as soon as the war was over. It was his first order as a king, actually. Sadly, she was gone before she even got to wear them."

"Oh, maybe I should leave them in here then. I never knew they were meant for Queen Susan. They're simply beautiful."

"My dear," The maid smiled. "Do you not understand?"

"Understand what?"

"You can wear these dresses. Caspian said so."

"When? I was there all the time he spoke to Trumpkin, and he never mentioned any piece of clothing!" Ellie laughed a little sarcastically.

"Of course he did not! But he had you sent to this particular room. Do you know how many young Telmarine ladies would kill to even walk into this room?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand a word of what you're saying."

"No woman has ever stepped into this room, except for Caspian's mother and Queen Susan of Old. Only a special woman, dear to our King's heart, could ever live and sleep in this room and wear these dresses. You are not just anybody, my dear."

Ellie stared at the maid, speechless. She didn't notice how her hands were shaking, or how she stopped breathing for a few seconds. All she could focus on was how no one except for Caspian's mother and his beloved Susan had ever been allowed in this room, and what it must mean.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **_Please, feel free to leave me reviews and tell me what you thought of the chapter. It makes me happy and I don't feel like I'm writing for nothing. ;)_

**Chapter Nine**

The maid gone, Ellie looked around the room, not sure what she should do anymore. She sat on the edge of the bed and buried her face in her hands. So Caspian wasn't mad at her anymore? She could have sworn he hated her now. She had to know what it was that Susan had told him. His behaviour towards her had changed after they met with Susan she now realised, and it could be no coincidence.

As she looked up, her eyes fell on the thick wooden door in the corner of her room. The door that led to Caspian's room, surely. There was something very Middle Ages about this door - very grand and old-fashioned. Pretty much like everything in Narnia, she thought. She stood up slowly and walked to the door. As she grabbed the handle, her hands shook. She felt the irresistible need to see Caspian's room, but deep down she knew it was wrong. Before she even realised it though, she was pushing the door open. She was intimated as she walked in. Being in Caspian's space felt very intimate for some reason. Almost as intimate as kissing him.

She made her way to the centre of the room to have a proper look around. The bedroom was about as big as Ellie's. A king-sized bed stood by the window. Opposite the bed, a large table made of very dark wood was covered with papers. Ellie approached it: they looked like administrative papers. She noticed a quill and dried black ink. As she stretched her arm to pick up the quill, some sheets were brushed away and her mouth dropped: her face was drawn on one of the sheets. It was not complete, but it looked exactly like her. Could it be… Could Caspian have drawn this? She felt shivers down her spine at the thought. There was something almost scary in the fact that he had drawn her before he even knew her. Before he was even sent to her world. Suddenly she heard steps coming from the doorway. And voices. Caspian's voice. She hid the drawing under the other sheets and ran to the door which she closed as quickly yet as quietly as possible. She had just enough time to sit back on her bed before a knock on the door was heard.

"Come in!" She said, trying to catch her breath. She should have definitely gone back to the gym, she thought. It would have come in handy in this situation.

The door opened slowly and Caspian appeared.

"Hello Eleanor, I hope I am not interrupting…" He said as he noticed the large basin.

"Oh no! No, you're not. I was about to… um, refresh myself. Um… But it's fine, I need cold-ish water anyway so…"

"Are you alright?" Caspian inquired. "You seem nervous."

"No, I'm not. I'm fine really. I'm just… It's strange, being here. In Narnia, I mean. Not this room in particular."

She closed her eyes and cursed herself for being unable to be more articulate. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to mention what the maid had said to Caspian. How would he react? And how would she, depending on his own reaction? No, now was not the right time.

"I am sure you will love Narnia once I have shown you around. It is a wonderful country."

"I'm sure it is… How come it's summer here, though? Is it like Australia?"

"Australia?" Caspian repeated.

"Oh, yes. You don't know Australia. Sorry, I tend to forget. It's a country on the other side of the world. And since it's on the other side of the world, the seasons are upside down. When it's winter in England, it's summer in Australia."

"How interesting!" Caspian exclaimed. "I am not aware of such a thing existing here. Maybe I should ask the professor. I really want you to meet him. He is the one who saved me when Miraz tried to kill me the first time around."

"I would love to meet the professor, Caspian." Ellie said softly.

"Well, to answer your question. It is always summer in Narnia. You see," He went on as Ellie's eyes were the mirror to her incredulity. "When the White Witch ruled over Narnia, long before I was even born, it was winter all of the time. So when the Kings and Queens of Old defeated her, they asked a magician if something could be done for winter to never come back to Narnia, ever again. Because winter brought back too many bad memories."

There was a long silence before Ellie spoke up, "I could not imagine never seeing winter again. I love winter."

"I never knew what winter was. It was only a concept in my mind. Until I was sent to your world."

Ellie forced herself to smile as she looked at him. He was still dressed in the clothes she'd bought him back in England. She was surprised his counsellors hadn't made any mention of this when he first entered the room.

"Well, I think I will leave you alone now, dear Eleanor. I am glad to see that you found the dresses." He said, pointing to the beautiful dress Ellie had taken out of the wardrobe and left on her bed.

"It is a wonderful dress, Caspian. I'm not sure I should be wearing it, though…" She tried hard not to tell him how she felt.

"Oh please, do wear it. I cannot wait to see you in it." He looked down, suddenly looking sadder. "Mmm," He coughed, "I will take you out for a walk while dinner is being prepared. I am going to refresh myself and change into my real clothes. How about I come to pick you up in about half an hour?"

"It sounds perfect to me."

"Well, I will see you in a moment, then."

He bowed to her before leaving the room. Ellie stood up and slowly took off her clothes. The sun that shone through the window kept her skin warm as she emptied the basins into the bigger one. Some soap had been brought to her, as well as a large towel. She stepped in to the basin and sat down. The cool water gave her goose bumps, but she felt good. She rested her head against the back of the basin and closed her eyes. All she could see was Caspian. She imagined him as he was so close to her, only a wall separating them. How he was probably naked too, as he changed his clothes. She knew she shouldn't think such things, but she couldn't help herself. She had come to admit it: she fancied Caspian. And she almost felt sorry she had not gone all the way when she'd had the occasion. Though she knew it would have been wrong; it would have made things too complicated. But now… Now that she'd heard the maid's story, now that she was determined to know about Susan and Caspian's encounters, now that she was in another world… She felt she could be bolder than she had been in England.

She reluctantly got out of the basin and wrapped herself in the large towel to dry herself up. She would have bathed longer but she knew Caspian would be knocking on her door anytime soon, and she didn't want to make him wait. When she was dried up, she put her bra and knickers back on and picked up the dress. It was light blue and white, and the threads used to sew it up were made of gold. She put it on as delicately as she could and buttoned it up at the back, not without difficulty. She turned around to look at herself in the cheval glass: she could hardly recognise herself. Yes, it definitely looked like someone else. But then she was aware it was her, good old Eleanor, and she couldn't help but smile. Just like every little girl, she had dressed as a princess on several occasions, and now she was dressed in a _real _princess gown. It felt so surreal. The only problem was her hair: it had curled up a little and she hated it. But they didn't have straighteners in Narnia, so she would have to deal with it.

She heard a knock on the door and went to open it. Caspian was standing there in front of her, in his Narnian clothes. He was wearing high brown boots, a long-sleeved pale blue shirt with a brown jacket on it. It was different, but it suited him well. Ellie couldn't help but notice how strong his chest looked in these clothes.

"Oh! Eleanor!" He gasped as he took one step backwards to have a better look at her. "You look beautiful." His voice grew more solemn as he said so, and Ellie looked down.

"Mmm, I wouldn't say so really. I think the dress makes you think that."

"I think you are mistaken, dear Eleanor. You need to realise how charming you are. Will you?" He asked as he gestured for her to link his arm to his.

She did as shown, not really used to such practices. Caspian led her out of the castle to the yard, telling her about the rooms in Cair Paravel that he thought she ought to know. When they finally reached the yard, some of the Narnians who were out and about enjoying the heat came up to Caspian to let him know how nice it was to have him back. Ellie was introduced to Caspian's people, and they looked at her with much interest.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere quieter?" Caspian suggested.

"If you wish." Ellie answered. "Your people love you, it seems." She went on after a short pause as they stood by the castle ramparts, Narnia showing all of its beauty in front of their eyes.

"I am doing everything in my power to keep Narnia safe and peaceful. I do not think they love me. They are grateful. Love… Love is a much different thing, is it not?"

"I suppose so…" Ellie sighed.

"Dear Eleanor, you really do seem troubled. Is there anything I can do for you? I will try to get in touch with Aslan and see what we can do about your being here. But in the meantime, I would love to see this smile of yours again."

Ellie looked up at him and without knowing why, tears gathered in her eyes and next thing she knew, she was crying in Caspian's arms.

"Eleanor…" He whispered as he stroked her hair. "Please, talk to me."

"I'm… I'm so-sorry. I'm making a-a-a f-fool of my-myself" She hiccupped.

"No you are not. I know you are worried about being here, but look! I am back in my country, so no doubt you will be sent back to yours, too."

"Do you w-want me to g-go back?" She asked, wiping the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Is that what you think? That I want you to leave?"

"Not really." She said as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Before we were sent here, you would avoid me at all cost Caspian. And now you're here being nice to me. And I don't know what to think. What did Susan tell you?"

There, she had asked the much dreaded question. What had Susan told him? She looked at him but his eyes avoided her. He was obviously trying to think of the right thing to say. A lie? He kept opening and closing his mouth. Just as Ellie was going to tell him to drop it, a maid joined them to tell Caspian that supper was ready. He looked at Eleanor apologetically and gestured for her to follow the maid.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Supper was deadly quiet. The sort of quietness that makes you ill at ease, that makes you think hard to come up with some light topic to discuss because the atmosphere is so heavy. Ellie was staring at her food, playing with it more than eating it. Caspian couldn't take his eyes off her. He was very hungry but his worrying about Ellie prevented him from enjoying his food. Much effort has been put into the decoration of the table as well, but none of them even noticed.

When the maid came in with red wine, she couldn't help but notice Ellie's quietness. She inquired on whether the food was to her taste, to which Ellie answered politely that it was, but that the weather was too hot for her to eat anything much. The smile she faked surprised Caspian: she was a very good actress. If he hadn't seen her cry about half an hour earlier, he could have believed her. As soon as the maid disappeared, Ellie threw her fork and napkin on the table and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Caspian worried.

"I… I need to be alone."

"Eleanor…"

But she was gone. Caspian had no idea whether he should follow or not. He decided not, because he knew she would ask about his encounters with Susan again and he wasn't sure how to break the news to her. He needed to see Aslan, he needed guidance. Ever since he had become king, he had turned into an independent young man and he had learnt to make his own decisions. But he was completely lost when it came to Eleanor. He wanted her with him, but she seemed so sad around him. She had probably been happier before they met. But now their destinies were linked and there was nothing he could do about it. Still, he knew that he would have to tell her eventually and he really feared her reaction.

He wandered around Cair Paravel's gardens and corridors before finding himself face to face with Ellie's room door. Funny how his feet had brought him there unconsciously. It must mean something, so he decided to knock on her door. When no one answered, he opened the door slowly. He thought that maybe Ellie had fallen asleep. The heat and the day's adventures were enough to make the greatest warrior exhausted. Her bed was empty, though, and it's only when he was in the middle of the room that he noticed her short frame watching the sun set from the balcony.

Her elbows rested on the balcony and her chin in her hands. She had kept her dress on. Caspian approached her, quiet as a mouse. When he stood right behind her, he saw her shiver.

"Caspian."

She didn't turn her head to look at him. She simply stated that she had felt his presence. He walked by her side and rested his left hand on her right arm. Her skin was warm, and so was he. Still, goosebumps covered her skin.

"It used to be so easy, wasn't it? You and me, walking around London. What happened?"

"You have found Queen Susan."

"Yes I have." She laughed sarcastically. "I used to be a selfish teenager, you know. I smoked and drank and didn't care much about anything. And now I'm trying to be a better person, and what do I get for it, honestly?"

"You got me."

"Caspian, please…"

"I am not joking, Eleanor. Perhaps it is about time you knew. Perhaps I should have told you."

"Told me what, Caspian? You see Susan and next thing I know you're kissing me and trying to shag me and…"

"You are the one, Eleanor."

"The one? What one?"

"_The_ one. This is what Susan told me."

"Oh please, this is complete bullshit. We've only known each other for a few weeks, and… We don't even come from the same world! How could I be the one?! We're not meant to be, Caspian. We're no soul mates. Soul mates don't exist anyway."

"You are being so sarcastic. It is not you. I know it. And I also know that you felt something when we kissed."

Ellie looked opposite Caspian's direction and ignored his last comment.

"You are not saying anything, Eleanor. And this silence, ironically enough, says it all."

He leaned in closer to her and took her chin in his fingers to make her face him. She resisted a little, refusing to look at him in the eyes.

"You know it." He said, his voice deeper. It sounded almost like a threat.

When she finally looked at him in the eyes, it didn't take him any more to know. And to thank Aslan for sending her his way. His face got nearer and nearer to hers, until he could feel her warm breath on his lips. And his mouth covered hers, and he didn't know whether he wanted her passionately or whether he wanted to taste her and take all the time in the world. So his kiss was chaste at first, but when Ellie didn't push him away, he bit her lower lip lightly and licked her upper lip for her to open her mouth. Which she did. And seconds later, he was holding her tight, crushing her breast against his chest, refusing to let her go once again. He wanted all of her, and by the way she clung on to his shoulders, he could tell she was desperate to know all of him too.

He left her mouth to kiss her temples and whisper in her ear _'Maybe we should go back inside'_. She didn't answer but let him lead her back into her bedroom. He couldn't take his hands off her and started unbuttoning her dress as he kept kissing her eagerly. Her fingertips stroked the back of his neck as she played with his hair. She was not going to interrupt anything this time around. He proceeded to slide her dress of her shoulders and couldn't help but look when it fell to the floor. White lace underwear was covering the most intimate parts of her body, her pale complexion looking like silk. The ever-present sun had tanned the Telmarine women's skins, and he remembers how Queen Susan's pale skin had attracted him in the first place. But as he looked at Ellie, he realised how he had never fancied Susan as much as he fancied her now. Susan was a fantasy, she was the valiant Queen who had saved Narnia, who had saved him. He had loved her, but now he understood that he didn't want to make her his like he wanted to make Ellie his at this precise moment.

"Caspian?" She whispered.

He looked down to catch her gaze and realised that he was standing there, starting at her.

"Is there… a problem? We can… stop… if you wish…"

He shook his head and smiled at her before grabbing her waist and pulling her closer to him. He groaned as she began to unbutton his shirt. Her hands caressed his chest, her warm lips kissing the little patch of hair at the top of it. Her hands slid down lower while she concentrated on his neck, licking and sucking on it. He could feel his manhood react to her hands travelling all over him. Her right forefinger followed the line of hair that went from his belly button to his growing manhood, but she stopped going lower when she reached his trousers. Was she just shy? He didn't want to know. Instead, he took her hand and moved it over the fabric that confined his penis. She looked up and caught his eyes, never looking away as she began stroking the delicate fabric. All he could think of was close his eyes and enjoy the moment, anticipating his possessing her at last. But he kept his eyes open and hardly blinked when he whispered her name, moaning.

Finally, she unbuttoned his trousers and he took them off. He had kept his boxer on – one of the boxers she had bought for him in England – and she looked down, smiling at the sight of his craving for her. She could feel the heat being her legs too, to the point that it almost hurt not to have him inside her.

"Make love to me, Caspian. Now."

It sounded almost like an order, but she needed to see him fully naked, she needed to touch him. And she needed to be loved by him. She lay down on the bed and he joined her after taking his boxers off. How beautiful he was! She had never imagined he would be so arousing. And yet she had imagined him more than once, as he was showering in her flat. She hadn't been able to help herself. He removed her bra and caressed her breasts before sucking and licking her nipples. Her back bent, but it was nothing compared to how her body reacted to his hand sliding between her legs, reaching the hot and begging spot. The little bit of flesh he knew how to stroke made her shiver and moan – no doubt he had learnt how to satisfy a woman. He slid one of his fingers inside of her, and this was too much. She moved his hand away from her wetness – taking him aback - and took off her panties, which she threw aside. Then she spread her legs and he instinctively positioned himself above her. She grabbed his manhood and pushed it against her entry.

"Please. I need you inside of me."

It didn't take him more to push himself into her. Her mouth was slightly open, her pleasure echoing in the room. He lowered his face to hers and took possession of her mouth as he pulled out of her, adjusting his position before throwing his penis deep inside her once again. Soon enough, her hips found his in their lovemaking rhythm. Her warm hands travelled all over his back as his mouth kissed every inch of her. When he felt her nails sink into his flesh, he knew she was going where he wanted to drive her. So he moved in and out of her faster, aware that it wouldn't take him long before he climaxed too. Suddenly, he felt her walls tighten around him and he looked at her as she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from moaning loud.

"Eleanor…" He panted. "Say my name."

And she did. And she moaned and repeated his name over and over as a wave of pleasure overcame her. And when her walls contracted around his manhood were too much for him to take, he gave in and let his head fall on her breast as he spilled his seed deep inside of her, his body shaking.

When climax left their bodies, Caspian slowly withdrew himself from Ellie and threw himself on the side of the bed, trying to catch his breath. She rolled on her tummy and reached his lips to kiss him lightly. Caspian took her in his arms and she rested her head on his chest. The sun was now gone, but the room was still warm.

Slowly, he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her fingertips caressing his stomach. It aroused him, and he knew for sure that he would need to have her again later in the night. He had not told her what she really was to him, what her role was in his life. She had laughed sarcastically when he'd told her she was the one. Yet it was true. It's just that it wasn't all. There was more to it than just her being the love of his life. But this could wait until tomorrow. He didn't want to spoil the beautiful night they'd just had. If her reaction was bad, she would probably never speak to him again and he refused to take the risk now that he had tasted her. As long as she ignored who she really was, she could be his.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Caspian tossed and turned in bed, his forehead covered in sweat. He was mad at Ellie, because she had refused him the previous night. He could not understand her reaction: first she had kissed him back and then she had pushed him away, as if she was disgusted with him. His brain was in complete confusion after what Susan had told him: if Eleanor was meant to be the mother of his children, then why was she pushing him away? Wasn't she supposed to love him back and desire him?

He jumped out of bed and decided that Susan had to be clearer about Aslan's explanations. Too many things remained untold, he could feel it. He put on his jeans and sneakers, grabbed his thick jumper and quickly made his way out of Ellie's flat, not looking back. He wasn't sure how to get to Susan's, but he was a warrior, he was a king. There was no way he couldn't find his way back through the jungle that was London. And eventually, he did find himself in front of Susan's house. He knocked, not caring that it was still early in the morning. And when Susan didn't answer fast enough, he knocked again – this time much louder.

Susan startled at the sound of the banging on the front door. She got out of bed and put her dressing gown on before walking down the stairs, silent as a cat and her heart beating fast. No one ever knocked on her door that loud. Especially not at dawn. She discreetly checked through the peephole and saw Caspian waiting impatiently in the darkness of the early morning. Surprised, she quickly opened the door and found herself face to face with a frowning Caspian.

"We need to talk, Susan." He said without bothering with a hello.

"Well, please come in. It's freezing outside."

She led him to the kitchen and had some water boil for tea. Caspian sat down and studied her: her long white hair was in a braid and she looked a little frail. But there was still something royal about her. She would never cease to be Queen Susan of Old.

Once the water was hot enough, Susan took two cups out of the cupboard and poured the water over the tea bags. She put down Caspian's cup in front of him and took out milk out of the fridge and sugar out of another cupboard before sitting down, facing Caspian.

"So, tell me what's going on, dear Caspian."

"It is about Eleanor, and what you told me. I… I kissed her last night."

"Did you?" Susan smiled raising her eyebrows.

"I…" Caspian's cheeks flushed.

"Please, don't feel ashamed or embarrassed to tell me, Caspian. I've got a daughter, after all. I moved on and got married."

"You are right." Caspian admitted, sipping on his tea. The hot liquid felt wonderful inside of his body, warming it all up. "Well, I kissed Eleanor. I needed her, Susan. I thought about what you told me, and how she was meant to be mine. And I realised how I felt about her. And I could not be far from her anymore. But when we went past kissing, she pushed me away. And I am so angry now, because if she is supposed to be the mother of my children, she should love me too. Why does she not? Am I supposed to do something in particular? Are you sure you understood Aslan right?"

Susan took a sip of her tea before taking a deep breath. She could feel the anger and incomprehension in Caspian's voice, and she had to choose her words carefully. He had grown older but he was still impulsive, and she didn't want to upset him.

"Eleanor has no idea who she is to you, though she was always destined to you. You know that nothing ever happens without any reasons in Narnia? Aslan has a plan for all of us. Just like my siblings and I were the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. Well… Your ancestors, Caspian, come from this very world. One day they found a door to Narnia and decided to stay there. They were pirates, and the thought of a new world to explore was very exciting to them. Years went by, centuries even. And they took the name of Telmarines."

"But what is the link to Eleanor?"

"Well… And this is what Aslan told me. When he understood that you and I… well, that we liked each other, he explained to me and Peter that we were too old to ever come back to Narnia, and also that I was not the woman you should marry."

Caspian frowned even more, if that was possible.

"I know it sounds confusing, but you see, long before you were even born, a young woman was destined to marry an ancestor of yours. But she was in love with someone else, and she refused to marry the lout Telmarine nobleman her family had chosen for her. As she was with the man she loved, they found a door back to this world and never went back to Narnia. And these young woman and man happen to be Eleanor's ancestors. The Telmarine nobleman was in such a rage that he used dark magic and proclaimed that one day, a Telmarine carrying his blood would be sent back to the other world and that he would find the descendant of his wife-to-be and that she would pay for her ancestor's mistake, and go back to Narnia with him and marry him, and bear his children."

Caspian stared at Susan, his eyes wide opened.

"So… do you mean that Eleanor and I were destined? And that she will have to go back to Narnia and live there forever?"

"So said Aslan."

"But, she will never accept to leave all that she has to go to Narnia with me. She will hate me if she ever finds out that she has got no other choice."

"Are you sure, Caspian? It seemed to me that she cared for you. A lot."

"But she refused me last night."

"But she kissed you. Perhaps it was a bit too much all at once."

"Either way, what am I supposed to tell her? That the day I go back to Narnia, she will have to follow me?"

Susan looked down, not sure what to say. She'd loved Narnia, but she'd chosen to stay there while she could. Ellie didn't have that choice.

"You need to talk to her, Caspian."

"She will hate me." The King whispered, shaking his head.

'_Hate me… She will hate me. She will hate me. Hate me…'_

"Caspian! Caspian!"

Caspian opened his eyes and saw Ellie's worried face as she was shaking him.

"Eleanor?"

"Shhhh…" She whispered as she rested her hand on his forehead. "It's just a nightmare."

"What?" He choked as he lifted his head to be closer to Ellie who was almost sitting on their bed.

"Stay still." She said, her tone reassuring as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You kept tossing and turning and repeating "She will hate me". I don't know who you dreamt of, but you must have done something horrible to that person to be so certain that she would hate you."

"So I was sleeping?"

"Yes you were." She smiled.

Caspian took a deep breath. He remembered now: the supper, Eleanor on the balcony, the love they made. But his conversation with Susan kept coming back, and he knew he would have to break the news to Ellie one day or another. He needed to see Aslan first though. Maybe Aslan could help? Maybe he could send her back to England and break the enchantment. He loved Ellie, he knew that for sure, but he refused to be the reason for her eternal unhappiness.

"Are you alright?" He heard her say.

"Pardon?"

"You haven't heard a word of what I've just said, have you?"

He shook his head shamefully.

"Nevermind."

She leant down and kissed his lips sensually, her left hand resting on his strong chest. Caspian grabbed the back of her head and pushed her even closer to him, deepening the kiss. When Ellie broke the kiss, she whispered _'I think I'm going to need you again'._ Caspian couldn't refuse the invitation so he rolled over her and proceeded to making love to her for the second time that night, shrugging destiny off.


End file.
